1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shutter assembly mounted on a optical adapter to which one optical cable with an optical connecter is detachably coupled from a first side and the other optical cable is coupled from a second side opposite to the first side.
2. Related Art
There is a conventionally known configuration wherein one optical cable can be coupled with another optical cable through an optical adapter which accepts an optical connector for terminating an optical cable and facilitating connection to and/or separation from another device. The optical adapter is configured such that a first end side and a second end side of an internal space sectioned by a bottom wall, a pair of side walls and an upper wall respectively form first and second accommodating sections which accept first and second optical cables, and a hollow sleeve into which ferrules of the first and second optical cables are inserted is provided at an intermediate portion in the optical adapter. In a case where the optical adapter is used in a state where the optical cable is inserted into only one of the first and second accommodating sections of the optical adapter (in other words, in a case where the optical adapter is used in a state where the optical cable inserted into the one of the first and second accommodating sections is terminated within the optical adapter), there may occur such problems that dust or dirt is attached to a distal end of the inserted optical cable, and a user directly looks at light from the optical cable. In order to prevent the problems from occurring, there is a conventionally known configuration including a shutter member coupled in a swingable manner with a first-end-side edge of the bottom wall via a pivot shaft so as to open or close an opening end of the optical adapter sectioned by first-end-side edges of the bottom wall, the pair of side walls and the upper wall (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-148483).
When such shutter member is attached to the optical adapter, the pivot shaft is first inserted through a first bearing part of the shutter member from an outer end surface thereof, which is on a side opposite to another second bearing part of the shutter member.
After the pivot shaft is passed through the first bearing part, the pivot shaft going out of an end surface of the first bearing part facing to the second bearing part is then inserted into a bearing part provided on the optical adapter. The pivot shaft, which has been inserted through the bearing part of the optical adapter is finally inserted through the second bearing part from an end surface thereof facing to the first bearing part.
There is a known conventional configuration wherein a guide hole (which is also so-called a countersunk hole) opened to an end surface (an insert-side end surface) of the bearing part positioned on a side from which the pivot shaft is inserted and having a diameter which becomes smaller as a distance to an end surface (an exsert-side end surface) positioned on a side from which the inserted pivot shaft goes out becomes larger, in order to enhance assembly workability of the shutter member by facilitating the insertion of the pivot shaft into the respective bearing parts. The provision of the guide hole enlarges an opening diameter of the bearing part at the insert-side end surface of the bearing part positioned on the side from which the pivot shaft is inserted, which makes it easy to insert the pivot shaft.
However, it is difficult to provide the guide hole at the insert-side end surface of the second bearing part, which is the end surface facing to the first bearing part. That is, in a case where the shutter member integrally including the first and second bearing parts is formed, it becomes necessary to release a die used for the formation of the guide hole in an axial-line direction of the first and second bearing parts (a direction where the pivot shaft is inserted) in order to form the guide hole in the bearing parts of the shutter member. However, since a distance between the end surfaces of the first and second bearing parts that face to each other cannot be set to be large due to a demanded size of the shutter member, it is difficult to provide the die for the guide hole between the first and second bearing parts. Further, if the die for the guide hole is hypothetically provided, it is still difficult to release the die in the axial-line direction. As a result, accuracy in forming the guide hole is deteriorated, which, in fact, deteriorates assembly workability of the shutter member.